An Exploration in Magic
by Pride's Downfall
Summary: Someone new shows up. During the 5th year at Hogwarts, a new teacher is uncovered, and she's never even been in this universe before. Taking up the role of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, how will she fare? Where will the school's inevitable adventures take her? A wanderer of universes, back to school, but as a teacher this time. Contains OCs.
1. An Odd Visitor

_An Odd Visitor_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything of the associated universe. However, the various OCs that may appear are of my creation, and thusly are treated as such.**

_A note about this project: Lately, I have been struggling to begin writing a serious story using a few characters that I've thought up. However, I am having trouble threshing out their full personalities, and I felt that an exercise such as this would do very nicely. A commonly known, not too complicated storyline that is oft used in the fanfiction multiverse? I couldn't pass up the opportunity. This is the result. The 'starring role', Mavi Tuo, is my pride and joy, though I'm not opposed to any criticism. Any tips for improving my writing overall are also welcome. Thank you for reading!_

* * *

_This story starts off with Harry and Dudley in the alleyway where they are attacked by dementors in the fifth book, which is the year in which this story will take place. My OC, Mavi Tuo, will be taking the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, with the usual… interference… by Umbridge. Fun stuff. The OC will show up just prior to the Order of the Phoenix showing up to rescue Harry from the Dursley household._

* * *

The pair of boys strolled down the alleyway, arguing over the trivial topic of who Dudley had beaten up that day. Harry, with his ever-present lack of care that Dudley was much, much stronger than he was, kept needling him about it, teasing him about Dudley's gang's nickname for him, and a couple other small topics. Upon reaching the topic of Harry's increasingly frequent nightmares, the pair of them started outright fighting.

Upon Harry pulling out his wand and very nearly cursing Dudley to the deepest pits of Hell, Dudley shuddered, as though he had been doused in icy water. Harry looked at him, confused, as he'd not yet cast a spell. Then he felt it himself…. Dementors. It was an unmistakable feeling. The lights went out, and with them, Dudley's voice came back on.

"Harry, what did you do?" he whimpered. "I can't see. I'm s-so c-cold." He started running away from where Harry was standing, while Harry's eyes started to clear.

"Dudley, come back! You're running right at them!" yelled Harry. He heard Dudley yell, and he feared for the worst. Then he heard him shriek in fear again, and Harry slowly got up from where he had fallen when he was first blinded. Looking up at the scene before him, he saw that Dudley was trapped within the dementor's cold grasp. Turning around, he saw a second one gliding towards him, and groaned in panic.

Knowing that there was no alternative, regardless of the consequences, he did the one thing he could. "_Expecto patronum!_" Harry wailed. In relief, the conjured silver stag chased down and scared off the first dementor, and then, at his urging, taking down the second one. He was confused, then, when the stag did not dissipate like he expected, but instead stomped the ground, snorting in annoyance.

Looking around, Harry could not see any other dementors or anything of the sort, and so tried himself to dispel the stag patronus. It looked at him in annoyance, with a sort of look in its eyes that said, _Are you really that stupid?_ It then disappeared with a poof of silver mist. Harry slumped to the ground in relief that it was really and truly over.

"Mundungus Fletcher, that blooming idiot," he heard someone quietly cursing. Looking up in alarm, he saw Mrs. Figg staring at him, wringing her hands. "Well, don't put your wand away, there could be something more out here."

* * *

After dragging Dudley home, Mrs. Figg trotted back off to her house, with Harry left to face the music about not using magic, the usual overbearing spoiling of Dudley, and various other unfortunate happenings. Once the owls started pouring in, one from the Ministry of Magic telling him about the hearing, and one from Arthur Weasley telling him to stay in the house, not to mention the odd Howler, Harry was sent up to his room.

He promptly sent off a series of letters by Hedwig, and gave a grunt at the Dursley's declaration of going out for the evening. Left with only his thoughts on what had just transpired, he fell into a light, unfit slumber.

A crash sounded through the house, waking Harry. He started, and then got up, reviewing a defensive spell in his head before picking up his wand and slipping quietly towards his bedroom door. As me moved towards it, he heard another crash, this time accompanied with a curse.

The voice was clearly female, though he couldn't identify the words, nor if he knew the speaker. Pressing closer to the keyhole, he tried to hear something, anything, else. He was rewarded by a third crash. It sounded like the lamp in the front hall, near the stairs. The sound was accompanied by a low groan. "I hurt," moaned the unknown woman's voice. "I hate him, I really do."

Harry backed up from the door, wondering at what was happening. He wasn't sure if he should think it was a robber, an assassin, or something else entirely. Deliberating about whether he should unlock his door with magic and take a look, he froze, panicked. The person downstairs had started climbing the staircase, and he had heard the usual creak from the lower step. _Uh-oh_, he thought.

When the steps were at their loudest, he heard a rattle on his doorknob. "Nope, locked," muttered the voice. It sounded annoyed, though not as much in pain as it had down below. The footsteps moved onto the next room, and tried the door. "Hey, this one's unlocked."

Harry heard the door open, and then a weak exclamation of, "Yes, a bed. Finally." With the sound of bedsprings from his parent's bedroom, the house fell silent once more.

* * *

A little later, he heard another crash from downstairs, and tensed, expecting another strange visitor. He was surprised, then, when he heard the familiar voice of Mad-Eye Moody telling someone to be careful. His door unlocked with a click, and he stepped out cautiously, surveying the hall below with unease. Looking down, he saw a group of eight or nine people. At the front of the group were his professors Lupin and Moody, standing with a violet-haired woman. It was then he realized that his wand was still raised, and he lowered it at Mad-Eye's urging.

"You're going to take somebody's eye out, boy," he growled irritably. "And DON'T put it in your back pocket," he added. "Too many people not concerned with wand safety these days… Remus, check him."

"Harry, what form does your patronus take?" asked Lupin kindly.

"A stag…" replied Harry nervously.

"We're good," announced Lupin. The rest of the group sighed in relief, and Moody just shrugged, and started back off to the kitchen.

Once back in the kitchen, introductions were promptly given. Harry was introduced to Kingsley Shacklebolt, Nymphadora Tonks, and a few others. He was also _re _-introduced to Alastor Moody, which felt odd to him.

Once Moody started cleaning his eye and Lupin discussed that they would be flying back to a secure location, Harry started to feel a bit better about the entire situation. He had almost forgotten about the strange woman who had appeared earlier when she entered the kitchen, blearily looking at them.

"Who're you?" she asked in a sleepy tone. "I was taking a nap here, and then…" She yawned mid-sentence. "You all showed up and started making noise…." Her voice trailed off again. As she was speaking, Harry took note of her appearance. She was easily the tallest one in the room, and she was exceptionally slender. Her silvery-white hair dropped in a straight sheet down her back, and when she looked up, he noticed that she had red eyes.

"Better question," growled Moody, looking uneasy. "Who're you? We checked before coming in; there was no one but Harry in here."

"I'm… Mavi Tuo," she replied, shaking her head to clear it. She finally seemed fully awake. After stretching and yawning one last time, she seemed to be completely lucid again. "Sorry 'bout that. I need a lot of sleep. Anyways, sorry if I got into the middle of something. I'll head out." She turned around, clearly making to head out the door.

"Wait." Moody glared at her. The woman Mavi Tuo looked annoyed, but she turned back to face him. "Who do you work for?"

She looked confused by the question. "Myself. Who else?"

"Are you a vigilante?"

"I suppose you could say that…." said the woman slowly.

"Is that really your name? Mavi… Tuo, did you say?" asked Remus quietly.

"Yep! I chose it. Why?" asked Mavi Tuo. She looked uneasy at the constant prodding. Glancing around the room, she sighed. "Oh, I get it. Organization of some sort?" She sighed at their expressions. "And I was right. Alrighty, then, I'll just leave before you start doing… organization stuff." She turned around again to leave, but was stopped by Moody again.

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to come back with us. You may have heard something compromising to our group." He glared at her, mistrust clear in his eyes.

Mavi Tuo glared right back at him, still halfway out the door. "No. I won't." Her eyes seemed to freeze the room. Only Moody remained unaffected by her cold scowl.

"Then I'll have to make you. I'm very sorry," said Moody. With that, he cried "_Stupefy!"_ and sent a line of red light towards the woman.

She blanched, and dived out of the way. "That looked dangerous," she muttered. Taking up a defensive position, her hands up in front of her, Harry, who had been watching the entire thing from a corner of the kitchen, noticed her gloves for the first time. They were a stark white, but they carried circles of runes upon them. He wasn't sure why, but they made him uneasy.

He found out when Mad-Eye and Remus sent Stunners towards her, only to have them sputter out a few inches from the now threatening-looking woman. When they hit, her red eyes seemed to glow.

"Are you a vampire?" asked Tonks conversationally, while the red eyes remained fixed on the two men in front of her, still shooting ineffective Stunners towards Mavi Tuo.

"No, I'm not," replied Mavi Tuo in a tone suggesting that that was an insult.

"Oh, okay. You know, red eyes, all of that. In that case, I'm very sorry about this," said Tonks with a small, sad smile.

Mavi Tuo turned towards Tonks, her eyes opening wider as she understood Tonks' meaning.

Tonks whipped out her wand, and shouted "Conteram et cadent!" A line of violently purple light shot from the tip and struck the odd shield that Mavi Tuo had kept before her. A sound like ice breaking resounded throughout the kitchen.

"No!" shouted Mavi Tuo when the next round of Stunners hit her, knocking her unconscious.

* * *

Once Tonks had finished helping Harry pack the group headed outside, with Lupin in the rear levitating the mysterious Mavi Tuo in front of him. They mounted their brooms and watched the sky. Lupin had the strange woman sitting on his broom in front of him.

After a long flight with Moody and Tonks arguing over safety versus comfort for the entire trip, Tonks, declared they would be landing shortly. Harry looked down over the city, then leaned into a steep dive. The group landed and dismounted on a patch of untidy grass in the middle of a small square. Tonks unbuckled Harry's trunk, and started dragging it towards one of the houses surrounding them.

Harry looked in a confused manner towards the houses, counting in his head. _Ten, eleven… thirteen?_ He looked to Mad-Eye for an explanation. In response, Moody shoved piece of paper into his hand. "Read this," he growled.

Harry read it quickly. _The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._ Looking up at the houses in front of him, he started to say, "But there is no number tw…" He was abruptly cut off by Lupin, who just said, "Think about what you just read."

Harry thought about it, and then blinked, looking at the houses. There was number twelve, as though it had always been there. "How..?" he asked, looking from one person to another. However, they had already started into the house. "C'mon, Harry!" beckoned Tonks brightly.

* * *

_End of chapter one._

_Brief note: The spell that Tonks uses is derived from Latin. "Conteram et cadent" translates roughly as "Break and fall", meaning that she was simply taking down Mavi Tuo's shield. It was the Stunners that knocked her unconscious._


	2. An Interrogation Gone Wrong

_An Interrogation Gone Wrong_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything of the associated universe. However, the various OCs that may appear are of my creation, and thusly are treated as such.**

_In this chapter, the point of view switches from Harry to Mavi Tuo. Since I'm using an odd form of 3rd person omniscient, it shouldn't make that much of a difference, but I simply wanted to make the readers aware. Those two will likely be my main two narrators for the story, so expect oscillation between the two. I'll give notifications when it changes. In addition, like most authors, I'll be taking minor creative license with the storyline, but it will remain much the same. Be that as it may, let the story continue!_

* * *

_One other brief thing to know is that Mavi Tuo has a _huge_ backstory not covered here. Therefore, if I make odd references, simply ask me for clarification, and I'll answer to the best of my ability. Also, she does have powers of sorts, but they're more based around magic circles and whatnot, closer to the transmutation circles of Fullmetal Alchemist. She'll have to learn how to channel this universe's type of magic. In addition to that, her main skills lie in physical battle, so all in all, magic is a strange thing for her to know. Also, for those who are going to ask, she is in her early twenties at this stage._

* * *

Mavi Tuo groaned softly as she woke up. It was the second time that she'd woken up in pain in as many days, and it was really starting to piss her off. She tried to stretch, but found herself unable to. Feeling around, she discovered thick ropes binding her hands and feet, keeping her from moving just a little bit. There was also a thick black cloth over her eyes, preventing her from seeing her surroundings when she opened her eyes.

"Let me ask again," said the man she remembered seemed hostile to her. "What is your name?"

"Mavi Tuo," she repeated sullenly. It bothered her when people interrogated her. It always inspired feelings of resentment to whoever was leading it, no matter the situation, and she was never quite able to shake it. In the past, interrogation usually was done in addition to torture, and she hated it.

"Who do you work for?" asked the man again. Mavi Tuo now remembered him as the one with the strange eye.

"Myself." Mavi Tuo was starting to get bored, despite the situation.

"Do you know who we are?"

"No."

"Are you going to answer me in one word sentences this entire time?"

"Yes."

"Where are you from?"

A pause.

"I repeat, where are you from?"

Mavi Tuo shuddered, knowing that this'd likely condemn her to whatever fate this man had planned for her. "I don't know."

"You don't know? How?" asked the other man, the slightly nicer one. The tired looking one. Mavi Tuo started. She hadn't realized he was in the room. She cursed herself for being unobservant, even with her eyes covered.

"I just… don't. I know the _location_, but I don't know what it's called, or how to find it," explained Mavi Tuo. _Shit,_ she thought bitterly. _That was a sentence._

"You know the location, but not how to find it?" asked the crueler man, in a strange tone.

"Yes," she replied, knowing that her explanation would cause nothing but more questions. "I came to this universe through an interdimensional rift known as the Void. I was sent here by a man named Vordis Kolov as punishment for interfering with his plans. And not for the first time at that…" She trailed off, muttering.

"An interdimensional rift? Surely you don't expect us to believe that?" asked the strange-eyed man.

"I don't. But it's the truth," snapped Mavi Tuo in an irritated tone. "Everywhere I go, it's always the same. Would at least _someone_ just _listen_ to me?" Her voice rose to a shout.

"Mad-Eye," said the nicer man. "Remember, we gave her Veritaserum. She's not lying."

"I'm not so sure, Remus. Remember what she did with those Stunners? Who knows what tricks she's pulling," stated the crueler man.

"Oh, for the love of… seriously, I've been _unconscious_ for crying out loud. I couldn't have done anything. And what is Verita-whats-it?" Mavi Tuo was now sounding seriously annoyed.

"Veritaserum. Prevents you from telling lies," grunted Mad-Eye. Mavi Tuo's head rolled back slightly as his gnarled hands reached up and removed the blindfold.

Her eyes rapidly took in her surroundings. She was in a small room with blank darkwood walls. She was sitting at a wooden table on a wooden chair. The table had a bright candle upon it. The two men with her were sitting across from her. They seemed harmless enough, but her sore muscles from whatever they had shot at her reminded her of their abilities. _They're not right_, she thought.

"Okay, we can let you go, I think," growled Mad-Eye. Remus looked at him, mildly surprised. "She's not lying. Body language, in addition to the truth serum."

"Fair enough. _Reserassem._" The ropes around Mavi Tuo loosened, then fell to the floor.

She got up slowly, warily, stretching her sore muscles. The two men looked back at her with similar wary expressions.

"I'm Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody," said the man with the odd eye, extending a hand.

"And I'm Remus Lupin," said the nicer man, also extending a hand.

As Mavi Tuo reached out a hand of her own to shake theirs, she noticed something dreadful. "Where's my sword?" she yelped.

"Sword? We didn't see a sword," said Lupin, frowning.

"I need it!" screamed Mavi Tuo, flying into a panicked rage. She turned tail and ran towards the door, wrenching it open. The two men watched in astonishment as the door flew and hit the wall before dropping dramatically to the floor. Moody just rolled his eyes.

"Here we go again," he pronounced.

"She has a sword?" asked Lupin incredulously as he trotted out the door after their escaped charge.

* * *

Mavi Tuo sprinted out the door, heedless of anything following her. Her mind was focused on one simple thought. _I must find my sword._ Coming upon a flight of stairs, she promptly vaulted the railing, falling several stories before hitting the ground with a dull _thud_. Shaking herself to ease her joints, she took off down the hallway in front of her. The door just in front of her opened into the hall, and she had just enough time to notice the green eyes of the boy she had seen earlier before her head smacked into the door, sending her spiraling into unconsciousness yet again.

* * *

This time, when she regained consciousness, Mavi Tuo found herself sprawled out on a rough mattress instead of in a chair. Rolling over with a sigh at the embarrassment of it all, she slowly sat up.

Surveying the dark bedroom, she proceeded to the door, opened it, and moved towards the stairs at the far end of the hall. Once reaching them, she proceeded to walk to the ground floor. Pausing beside the door that she had run into previously, she heard quiet voices discussing something.

"She's not human, I don't think," a voice muttered. It was mildly menacing, with dark undertones.

"Well, no. She jumped three stories and got up like nothing happened. Didn't Harry say that she knocked herself unconscious from the door?" It sounded like Lupin.

"Yeah, she did. Weird, huh?" replied the dark voice.

Mavi Tuo chose that moment to open the door and stalk inside. "Yes, I am human. Well, I was. Get over it," she snarled.

"Was?" asked the dark-haired man from across the room, which she could now see was a kitchen. There was a group of people seated around it, and then there were a few, like the dark-haired man, who were standing against the walls.

Mavi Tuo rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm human, but I've been augmented. I had to absorb a nine-dimensional array once, and it left me… changed. But I'm still very much human."

"That makes no sense. You're talking gibberish," pronounced the dark-haired man.

"Sirius, enough," said a rotund red-haired woman sitting at the table. "Come, dear, you probably need some food. Come eat, and try to explain. These men here are just jittery, what with the war and all."

"War?" asked Mavi Tuo. "What war?" She noticed the men in question exchanging significant glances.

The woman at the table noticed it too. "Oh, good grief, you lot. Just look at her. Let it rest for now, and we'll figure this all out later."

* * *

Five minutes later, Mavi Tuo found herself with a hot sandwich in front of her, and a few more people in the room. There was a group of redheads, including a young girl, a pair of twins, and a boy who seemed between the two ages. There was also that same green-eyed boy who she saw earlier, and they were joined by a girl of the same age with bushy brown hair. She especially seemed intent on getting all of her questions answered.

"So what exactly is a nine-dimensional array?" she asked quickly.

Mavi Tuo sighed and looked her square in the face. "What if I told you I don't know?" she replied with a snarl. She seemed to be losing her temper again. "It was a friend of mine who told me, one much more intelligent. Although, she was from the year 3026 of a technology world, so she probably knew more…" Mavi Tuo trailed off, realizing what she had just said without asking a vital question first.

"What year is it here?" she asked, worried.

"It's 1995," replied the girl Mavi Tuo now knew to be Hermione. "How could you not know that?"

"Never mind…" said Mavi Tuo worriedly.

"And what do you mean by a technology world?"

"… Nothing."

"You don't make sense."

"I make plenty of sense, thank you very much."

"Can't you prove any of this?"

Mavi Tuo looked up. The last question bothered her. "No, I can't," she said softly. "It's not within my power."

Hermione looked annoyed, and about to speak again, but a voice from the other end of the table broke her off. "Ginny – BED!"

* * *

A while later, Mavi Tuo found herself finishing up a conversation about a dark lord named Voldemort, a school called Hogwarts, and an organization named the Order of the Phoenix. After the children went to bed and the adults resumed talking, thing were finally starting to make sense. However, she then had to ask the one question she had been avoiding for a while.

"What should I do?"

The rest of the people in the room started. They seemed to have completely forgotten that she was there.

"Well…" began Sirius. "I have no idea."

"I think we wipe her memory, then put her back where we found her," growled Moody, clearly mistrustful of the woman.

"Wait, whoa. Wipe my memory?" Mavi Tuo looked incredulous. "No thank you. That never ends well. Trust me."

"What alternative do we have?" asked Moody.

"Is there no oath that would acquiesce you all?" asked Mavi Tuo to the room at large.

"Unfortunately, not really," said Remus in a sad tone. "Unfortunately, I think we have to do this."

"No, trust me, don't!" pleaded Mavi Tuo. "I can't guarantee your safety if you attack me."

"That's it," grumbled Moody. "Remus, you're the best at this."

He sighed, then raised his wand. "_Oblivi-!"_

Before he could even finish the word, Mavi Tuo's eyes started to glow. "I warned you, didn't I," she snarled. "I'm sorry, but you brought this upon yourself!" With that, she launched herself towards Lupin, fist pulled back to deliver a devastating punch. Lupin jumped back out of the way, but even with his quick reflexes, only a fast shield spell from Moody kept him alive.

Rolling and settling on her haunches, Mavi Tuo spun around to face the group from against the wall. Growling, she stood upright. With gritted teeth, she said, "My instincts are too strong, unless you don't stop, I can't NOT attack you."

"I'm sorry, but we have to do this!" yelled Mad-Eye. _"Ignis flamine!"_ he shouted. A gigantic burst of fire erupted from his wand, evidently meant to scare more than harm. The fire swirled around Mavi Tuo, but never touched her. An aura of red energy surrounded her, shielding her from the flame. Her eyes, now glowing brighter than the flame, stared into Moody's and he felt himself shake before her fury. Her face, once fair, had hardened into a heavy battle mask, and the clothing that had been on her prior was now a heavy suit of armor, also glowing red.

Mavi Tuo spoke in a low monotone, though it was still audible over the roar of the fire. "_With the power invested in me by Vordis Kolov, I summon my weapon, the sword borne of terror and sorrow. Come to me, and never be parted again. Seal one, release!"_

The fire now dying down, the group in the small kitchen of Grimmauld Place looked on in horror. Within the red shield, a large claymore was materializing. It was easily two meters long, and about three hands wide. It was a flat silver, but it carries an intrinsic beauty, a weapon meant to bring wonderful destruction.

She swung the sword in a wide arc, dispelling what remained of the fire. Then, her face becoming panicked, she said frantically "No, I'm sorry, you need to stop! I can't hold onto my anger for any longer!" With that, she turned towards the wall, again speaking in the same monotone. "_Void, open before me. Take me on my path through this world."_

Looking back over her shoulder, she looked at the assembled group still watching her in disbelief. "I'm sorry. Don't follow me."

With that, she fell into the Void fracture opening behind her, a dark space opening within the wall, a dull roar echoing from its depths. The lights dimmed, and then all was silent.

Mad-Eye heaved a deep breath. "Someone get Dumbledore."

* * *

_End of chapter two._

_Notes: Spells used are "Reserassem" meaning "unbind" and "Ignis flamine" which means "fire blast" in Latin. As for the powers exhibited by Mavi Tuo, a lot of this has to do with her history. In my head, this is after she has already gained most of her powers. Sorry about any confusion. Her inhuman strength is something that she trained for more than anything else. The Void stuff, well, it's the fabric between worlds, and she uses it to move from place to place, and through time. As for the glowing eyes, red aura, and armor, those are just things that she picked up along her journey. The anger issues she always has. It is _almost_ a split personality, but it's mostly just the two strong emotions tearing her apart. Just message me with any confusion you might have._


	3. An Absolutely Unexpected Title

_An Absolutely Unexpected Title_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything of the associated universe. However, the various OCs that may appear are of my creation, and thusly are treated as such.**

_This chapter starts off with Mavi Tuo materializing in The Leaky Cauldron, but a few things need to be told in summary:_

_Just after Mavi Tuo's odd departure, Mad-Eye and the rest of the Order promptly contacted Dumbledore, telling him of the situation. He, however, told them with his usual lilting humor that there was nothing to worry about and that it would resolve itself soon. "Soon, or very close to it, really…" were his exact words. The Order was simply confused by the whole thing. However, they soon recovered, and the summer proceeded as normal for the rest of them, including the Golden Trio. Harry received his pardon from the Ministry, etc, etc. Their story will pick up again at the train station._

_That ends the summary, and yes, it is important. Don't skip the summaries! Knowing me, they'll pop up again. Anyways, this scene will start off from Mavi Tuo's perspective again. Enjoy!_

* * *

Mavi Tuo stood up slowly, shaking her head to clear it. Surveying her surroundings, she judged herself to be in some sort of kitchen. _Once again_, she thought. A wooden counter was to her left, its dark wood soaking in the light from the candles placed every few meters along the walls. She could hear something akin to tavern babble through the walls, and smoke hung heavy in the air.

A woman with dark hair poked her head around the corner of the area. "Who the hell are you?" asked the woman blankly.

Before Mavi Tuo could form a coherent reply, a man who was holding a couple of mugs of what looked to be ale also came from around the corner. "Blimey, who do we have here?"

Rolling her eyes, Mavi Tuo spoke, "Mavi Tuo, at your service." She looked steadily at the two of them, both of them looking back at her curiously.

"How'd you get in here?" asked the man. "Did you apparate?"

"Apparate? What the hell is that?" asked Mavi Tuo in return. She was surprised to see the two people in front of her blanch in surprise. "Oh, I get it," she sighed, "You're more of those wizard folk, huh?"

The man holding the mugs looked taken aback. "You speak like you're not one. Are you a Muggle?"

"No, Tom, she couldn't be, she's in _here_," said the other woman urgently. Looking at her clothing, Mavi Tuo guessed her to be a waitress. Was she in a bar? That would explain the tavern babble. _I could use an ale right now_, she thought bitterly.

"I'm not a wizard, or witch actually, and I'm not a Muggle either, judging by the fact that I'm 'here', wherever this is. Where _am_ I anyways?" questioned Mavi Tuo somewhat impatiently.

"You're in The Leaky Cauldron," announced Tom. "Entrance to Diagon Alley. I'm the bartender here. You're _not_ from around here, are you?" With a motion of his hand, he sent the waitress out.

"No, I'm not," muttered Mavi Tuo with mild irritation. "Can't anyone get that through their head?"

Tom raised his hands in front of him with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sorry. You know, though, if you need to be shown around the place, you could always talk to Hagrid. He's off duty right now, and he's always pleased to meet new people." Tom continued to talk as he beckoned Mavi Tuo forward, leading her into the main room of the bar.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mavi Tuo found herself seated before a giant of a man with a gigantic tankard larger than her head in front of him. He was currently explaining to her the concept of Diagon Alley.

"Well, ye see, it's the largest collection of magical folk here in London," he continued, only pausing to take a swig out of his huge tankard. "Yeh've got all of yer shops and the like here, everything you could want. Owls, potions ingredients, books, brooms, wands, the works." He paused to take a breath, and Mavi Tuo took the chance to take back a bit of the conversation.

"Did you say wands? What do you mean?" she asked, quickly seizing upon the most memorable aspect of the last sentence.

"Well, yeah, wands, where would the students get 'em? Not many people make 'em any more, an' Ollivander is the best of the wand makers," said Hagrid with a tone that it should be obvious. His gruff manner didn't deter the silver haired woman, though.

"Well, why do people need them so badly?" she asked. Hagrid looked shocked.

"Well, ye need them for magic, right? Why else?" said the half-giant incredulously. "Are you telling me that you don't know about practically _anything_ in the wizarding world?"

"That is correct," said the red-eyed woman replied.

Momentarily stymied, Hagrid sat back. Then a mild look of suspicion appeared in his eyes. "Then how did you get here?" he asked.

Mavi Tuo shrugged. "I don't know. The Void just dumped me here."

"What's the Void?"

"The space between the folds of reality."

"Yeh're not making sense."

"I know." Mavi Tuo sighed, looking down at the table. She heard a man clear his throat, and Tom was there with a mug of ale.

"You looked like you might want this. On the house, alright?" stated Tom, placing the mug before her. He sat down with Hagrid and Mavi Tuo, though he was momentarily confused by the paused conversation.

"So Mavi Tuo, where are you headed to first?" he asked quizzically.

"I'm not sure myself," admitted Mavi Tuo. "I'm a wanderer. What do I need to get by in this society?"

"Well…" said Tom, settling back in his chair as he thought. "The usual. You'll need to get yourself a wand and a job if you're staying in the region for long."

"How would I go about getting a wand?"

Hagrid shook his head disbelievingly. "I told yeh, Ollivander is the best there is."

Mavi Tuo glared at him. "What do I need to purchase it was my question."

Tom chuckled. "Most wands cost between five and ten galleons. Have you got any on you?"

"What are galleons?"

The silence at the table was deafening. Tom looked from Hagrid to Mavi Tuo and back, then whistled slowly.

"You're _really_ new here, aren't you?" asked Tom.

"_Yes_," breathed Mavi Tuo in annoyance. "Good grief. Now, how do I go about getting a wand? And what do I do with it?"

"Do you know any magic?" The question came from Hagrid.

"I can cast circles and force fields. Does that work here?"

Tom looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, but how do you do that without a wand?"

Mavi Tuo looked surprised. "You mean you have to have a wand to do magic at all?" she asked, astonished.

Hagrid rolled his eyes. "Of _course_ you do, what are yeh, a child? Everyone knows that." He snorted.

Looking between the two nervously, finally settling his gaze on Mavi Tuo, Tom took the diplomatic approach. "Well, why don't you and Hagrid run down to Ollivander's? You might get some better explanations from him."

"Sounds like a good idea," said Mavi Tuo. She drained her ale with a single long draught, then stood up, shouldered her sword, and followed Hagrid out the back.

* * *

A couple minutes later, Mavi Tuo entered the small, dusty shop at the end of Diagon Alley, making the small bell over the door ring with a single gentle peal. Hagrid had opted to stay outside due to his bulk, though he had lent her a few galleons to purchase a wand. He'd said that he had some money from the school Hogwarts meant for students, and that she might as well have been one. _I'll need to figure out how to pay him back at some point. And that was a neat trick he did with the brick wall, I must say…_ she thought. The cacophony of the street was starting to get to her, though, so she was glad to be inside a quieter area, despite the decidedly gloomy atmosphere.

Looking around, she could see nothing but shelves upon shelves of small black boxes. Most of them were about a foot long, and she could see hundreds of them. Moving up to the small counter in the center of room, she laid her sword against it, and leaned to peer down the long aisle. It stretched back into the depths of the building, the dust and darkness making it impossible to see to the end.

_This place reminds me of the Library_, she thought bitterly. Reminiscing on that labyrinthine terror of a library, she became lost in her own thoughts.

"Can I help you?" asked a soft voice. Mavi Tuo jumped and grabbed for her sword, unsure of where the voice was coming from. She looked all around, and finally stopped and sighed in relief as an old man slowly walked up to the counter from the aisle, looking slightly wary at the gigantic blade in his shop. Stopping at the edge of the counter, he looked at her curiously.

"You've not been in my shop before, nor bought a wand here. I remember every wand I've ever sold, and I've not ever given you one…." He trailed off.

"This will be my first time purchasing a wand," said Mavi Tuo with a firm tone.

The old man looked surprised, but then his face cleared up and he smiled warmly. "You're the Wanderer, aren't you?" he asked jovially. Mavi Tuo looked at him dumbstruck, then advanced upon him threateningly.

"How do you know that title?" she asked him threateningly, leaning over the old man. "_How do you know?!" _she yelled.

The gray haired man's eyes sparkles mischievously. "A certain woman who introduced herself as Death's Mistress told me about you a long time ago. She described a woman with red eyes and silver hair, and sword that carried the terror and sorrow of a thousand rent souls. I remember now…" he trailed off and put a hand to his chin in thought.

"She told me to give you this," declared the man as he wandered back to the other side of the counter, completely ignoring Mavi Tuo's surprised glare. Fiddling with a small key, he unlocked a drawer hidden from the silver haired woman's eyes and drew out a tiny dark green box. Opening it, he extracted a delicate silver ring with an emerald set into it. Handing it to her, he nodded to himself at her look of recognition, and extended his other hand.

Mavi Tuo took the ring, looking at it with an emotion somewhere between sorrow and incredulity, then extended her hand and shook the old man's.

"I'm Mavi Tuo," she said.

"Ollivander," replied the old man. He went to the front of the shop and pulled a few chair from under the window to the center of the room, and motioned for Mavi Tuo to sit down, following suit after she acquiesced. "Now, I assume that you have a couple of questions?"

_End of chapter three._

_Notes: Though it might seem that Hagrid is a little OOC, it is simply that he doesn't fully trust Mavi Tuo yet. Not much else to say on that note, really. As for Mavi Tuo's reaction to "The Wanderer" comment, this, once again, has to do with her backstory. It is a title that she earned/gained on her travels, almost as a mythical figure to those who don't know her. She was startled that Ollivander knew it due to her knowing that she'd not been in this universe (or part of it) prior to now. Also, right after that, the mention of "Death's Mistress" deals with the same concept. Another character of mine carries that title, and she happens to be a close friend of Mavi Tuo's. I'll attempt to work her into the story at a later time so that this makes more sense. One last note, not something relevant now, but just to keep in mind: Most of my OCs are time travelers…_


End file.
